Benjamin F. Fontaine (February 27, 1837 – January 9, 1910) was a Belgian American hardware merchant and politician. He served as a member of the Wisconsin State Assembly in 1880 and 1881, representing northeast Brown County.[1]
Benjamin Fontaine | |
|---|---|
| Member of the Wisconsin State Assembly from the Brown 1st district | |
| In office January 5, 1880 – January 2, 1882 | |
| Preceded by | David M. Kelly |
| Succeeded by | John M. Hogan |
| Personal details | |
| Born | February 27, 1837 Pietrebais, Province of Brabant, Belgium |
| Died | January 9, 1910 (aged 72) Green Bay, Wisconsin, U.S. |
| Resting place | Fort Howard Memorial Park, Green Bay |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Desiree Fontaine |
| Children | 4 |
Biography
editFontaine was born in 1837 in Belgium, and was educated to the standards of the time.[2] He moved to the Town of Green Bay in 1855 and later moved to the town of Scott, where he lived from 1860 to 1864 and was town chairman in 1863.[3] From there, he moved to Green Bay, Wisconsin in 1865 and started a hardware business in 1870, which he maintained until 1907.[3]
He was elected to the Wisconsin State Assembly from Brown County's 1st Assembly district for the 1880 session and was re-elected for the 1881 term.[2] Fontaine was one of the first Belgian-American immigrants to northeastern Wisconsin to serve in the Assembly; others included Joseph Wery, Constant Martin, John B. Eugene and Grégoire Dupont.[1] Immediately following his time in the Assembly, Fontaine served two terms on the Green Bay City Council.[3] In 1892, Fontaine was a founding member of the Belgian Republicans Club in Green Bay.[4]
Fontaine was married and had four children. He died on January 9, 1910, and was buried at Fort Howard Cemetery.[3]
References
edit- ^ a b Martin, Xavier (1895). Thwaites, Reuben (ed.). The Belgians of Northeast Wisconsin (13th ed.). Madison, WI: Democrat Printing Company. p. 19.
- ^ a b Biographical Sketches - 1881 Blue Book (PDF). Madison, WI: Wisconsin State Legislature. 1881. pp. 504–505. Retrieved September 22, 2020.
- ^ a b c d "Old Hardware Dealer Dies". Green Bay Semi-Weekly Gazette. January 12, 1910. Retrieved September 22, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Enthusiastic Republicans: The Belgian Republican Club Organized". Green Bay Weekly Gazette. September 28, 1892. Retrieved September 22, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.